Jack's Wife Freda: Cooking From New York's West Village by Dean Jankelowitz and Maya Jankelowitz

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    from Jack's Wife Freda: Cooking From New York's West Village Jack's Wife Freda by Dean Jankelowitz and Maya Jankelowitz

    • Categories: How to...; Spice / herb blends & rubs; North African
    • Ingredients: sesame seeds; dried thyme; dried oregano; sumac
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Notes about this book

  • ohyoucook on April 30, 2017

    To me, "Jewish comfort-food" means, at the least. kosher-friendly. When did mussels become Jewish food?????

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • How to poach eggs

    • finebec on May 03, 2017

      I like the idea of this book, and and I have always had trouble poaching eggs. Even Mark Bittman's how do cook everything did not work for me

  • Grapefruit yogurt

    • caresan on March 15, 2026

      Used this recipe as inspiration. Never thought to segment grapefruit for a yogurt bowl.

  • Green shakshuka

    • Agaillard on December 07, 2020

      I had high expectations and was disappointed, but I suspect this might be because I altered the original recipe so much... we don't have tomatillos in France, I had to second guess proportions with just two eggs and I didn't have a pan of the correct size so ovened it... wasn't bad... just not worth it, but they look so pretty I may try again following the proper recipe :)

  • Maya's grain bowl

    • simone_lu3llo on February 18, 2026

      A lot of prep for all of the different components, but so good. I love that the book gives different combination options for each season.

  • Durban mussels

    • VineTomato on April 15, 2017

      Having grown up with holidays in Durban, I too was exited to create the scent of Durban. Whilst the dish promises a lot, I felt it under delivered. The resulting sauce was too thin and did not have much flavor. I will try this again, but will reduce the white wine and prepared curry sauce before adding the mussels. I may add some dried apricots in the first stages of sauce making to enhance the flavor. You are also left over with more sauce than you need, some suggestions on what to do with this would be nice. I have frozen it and will probably add to roasted veg / veggie meatball dish with yogurt. I was also not really in the mood for mussels - which could have tainted the whole experience! Let's commit to round two.

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  • ISBN 10 0399574867
  • ISBN 13 9780399574863
  • Published Mar 21 2017
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 256
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Blue Rider Press

Publishers Text

“Walking into Jack’s Wife Freda feels like a big, warm hug. Maya and Dean serve food you want to eat, anytime, any day. Though I’ll never stop parking myself at their restaurants, I can’t wait to re-create their favorites (and mine) at home.”—Jessica Seinfeld, bestselling author of Deceptively Delicious, The Can’t Cook Book, and Food Swings

From Jack's Wife Freda, the New York City neighborhood restaurants with a worldwide following, a gorgeously illustrated cookbook filled with beloved recipes for accessible, delicious, and inventive Jewish comfort-food cooking at home.

Jack's Wife Freda, a pair of downtown restaurants whose signs bear the illustrated face of their namesake grandma, have become part of the epicenter of Jewish comfort-food dining in New York's Greenwich Village. With their communal, casual vibe and detailed coziness, the restaurants feel like home, and everyone--from the many local regulars to thousands of tourists just passing through--is greeted like family by owners Maya and Dean Jankelowitz, and their staff. And the food is another reason you never want to leave. A tempting and imaginative meld of Jewish immigrant traditions and recipes, the menu crafted by chef Julia Jaksic borrows from the Ashkenazi and Sephardic dishes of the Jankelowitz's respective childhoods, along with the flavors of South African and Israeli cooking. Fans line up on Carmine and Lafayette Streets each morning for a taste of the legendary spicy baked Shakshuka, Eggs Benny with Beet Hollandaise, or Rosewater Waffles with Honey Syrup. The bustling lunch crowd digs into classics like Matzoh Ball Soup, paired with new favorites like Peri-Peri Chicken Wings infused with African bird's eye chili, and Maya's Grain Bowl with Turmeric Tahini Dressing. Refreshing daytime drinks including Cantaloupe Juice and Nana Tea give way to a signature New York Sour at five o'clock, alongside an appetizer of Fried Zucchini Chips with Smoked Paprika Aioli or Haloumi with Grapes. Dinnertime brings delectable crowd-pleasers that home cooks will turn to again and again: Spiced Rack of Lamb with Herbed Israeli Couscous, Duck Tagine, and Freda's Fish Balls. Malva Pudding, Yogurt Panna Cotta with Rose Syrup and more are a perfect end to any meal.

Good food enjoyed with friends and family is the foundation of Jack's Wife Freda, and Maya and Dean bring the same vibrant energy and love of great cooking and healthful eating to their first cookbook. Whether you live around the corner and pop in regularly for a favorite meal or look forward to an out-of-town visit, this beautifully illustrated and user-friendly book makes it easy to eat from Jack's Wife Freda all day, every day.


Follow online at jackswifefreda.com and on Instagram @jackswifefreda.